Despite studying Optimizing Sibelius Output, I am still confused on many points concerning matching Vienna Ensemble to Sibelius Output Devices.
I purchased the VSL Special Edition and Special Edition Plus Bundle. (I do not have the Extended Libraries.) Ideally, I would like to get the most benefit from both the Standard and Plus packages, using SIbelius.
Lets take orchestral strings. SE-Standard has orchestral strings for a string section of 14-14-10-8-6 players. SE-Plus also has orchestral strings for a string section of 14-14-10-8-6 players. According the the website: " All string instruments of the Special Edition make an appearance here, but with additional articulations such as short détaché, fortepiano, snap-pizzicato, col legno, trills, repetition performances, fast repetitions, harmonics, ponticellos, con sordino, etc."
From this, it would appear that the samples in the Standard Edition are not repeated in the Plus Edition, and one must create one instance of Vienna Ensemble to run the samples in the Standard Edition, and a second instance of Vienna Ensemble to run the samples in the Plus Edition. Nor is there any indication that the SIbelius Sound Set for SE-Plus also controls SE-Standard.
But if that is so, then one must have two instances of each staff in the string orchestra in Sibelius (i.e., two Violins I staves, two Violins II staves, two violas staves, two celli staves, and two bassi staves -- one for SE-Standard and the other for SE-Plus.) And each of these staves would have to have a different MIDI setting in the SIbelius Mixer to match the MIDI settings in the two instances of Vienna Ensemble with the loaded matrixes.
To complicate this situation ever further, we have two instances of Vienna Ensemble -- one for orchestral strings in SE-Standard and the other for orchestral strings in SE-Plus. However, when loading instruments for the instance of VE reserved for samples from SE-Standard, there are matrices for each instrument labeled +, as well as regular. For example, 21S String Violins, and 21S Strings Violins +. What does this + mean? Is this a matrix from SE-Plus? If it is, what is it doing in an instance of VE that is linked to the VE output device in SiIbelius that is reserved for VE-standard? What am I supposed to do with these two matrices in VE? -- load both of them into VE's Instrument 1? None of these ambiguities is clealy explained in Optimizing Sibelius Output or the Sibelius/Vienna video.
What is missing from VSL SE-Plus is a set of clear, simple, unambiguous, step-by-step instructions on how to set up Sibelius Output Devices and Vienna Ensemble to run an orchestral string section that utilizes both Special Edition-Standard and Special Edition-Plus.
Even better, Vienna Ensemble should have included a setup option that would automatically create the proper settings for a string orchestra utilizing SE-Standard and SE-Plus. The string orchestra is the basis of all symphony orchestras.
MS
